Daughter of world champ downplays limelight

Friday

Jul 11, 2014 at 12:01 AM

Jacie Etbauer has always known her dad, Billy, wasn’t like the other kids’ dads.

Billy Etbauer, who now lives in Edmond with his family, won the saddle bronc riding world championship five times. He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 21 consecutive years, a span longer than 15-year-old Jacie’s entire life.

Ben Luschen

Jacie Etbauer has always known her dad, Billy, wasn’t like the other kids’ dads.

Billy Etbauer, who now lives in Edmond with his family, won the saddle bronc riding world championship five times. He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 21 consecutive years, a span longer than 15-year-old Jacie’s entire life.

Though her father is now retired, Jacie said fans and past acquaintances still approach her father “all the time.”

“I know, like, none of them,” she said.

Naturally, some of the attention her father receives trickles down to Jacie from those interested to see how the champ’s daughter performs.

Jacie said she realizes there are more eyeballs on her when she competes, but tries not to think, or talk, about it.

“I don’t like to be braggy,” she said.

This year marks Jacie’s first appearance in the International Finals Youth Rodeo, where she is competing in barrels and poles. Though she admits she sometimes gets nervous before a competition, she never lets it stop her from trying her best.

“After you go in you just start thinking about the run,” she said.

Jacie has not been able to barrel race at the IFYR on her preferred horse, Whistle Spirit. The horse injured a tendon while barrel racing during her last go at an earlier rodeo, but still managed to finish and win.

Another horse, Whistle Bugs, whom Jacie has nicknamed “Panther,” has had to fill in. Though Jacie said she has been pleased with his performance, Panther did trip on the first barrel during a run Thursday morning.